Top 10 Southern California high school football games to watch this week (Oct. 20-22): Rivalry matches in L.A. City Section and High Desert take center stage
The 10th week of the 2022 SoCal season might just bring the most exciting slate of L.A. City Section regular season football in recent history. And with other league title games going on across the Southland, this week features some massive rivalry games that you might, or might not, be familiar with.
Here's the rundown on the top 10 games to watch this week (Oct. 20-22) across Southern California high school football.
FULL SECTION SCHEDULES: SOUTHERN | LA CITY | SAN DIEGO
TOP 10 SOCAL FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK:
(Games are 7 p.m. Friday unless noted otherwise.)
10. Crenshaw at Dorsey
It's the time of the year for big rivalry games with league titles on the line, and not too many rivalry games in SoCal have more history than this one. Crenshaw already has two league losses, so it's hard to see a path to a league title for the Cougars, whereas Dorsey is on a torrid pace towards going back-to-back in the Coliseum League. But victory could possibly be attainable for them this week if they're ready to play their best football yet against their longtime arch rival. Don't expect the Dons to let up this week though.
9. Roosevelt (Eastvale) at Vista Murrieta
When the Southwestern and Big VIII Leagues merged into the Big West League, the Upper Division formed not only one of the outright best conferences in California, but specifically one of the deepest. With all six members being top-50 teams in the Southern Section, this is a rare instance where it's a legitimate accomplishment just to not finish last.
So, both of these teams are winless in league play despite being strong once again in 2022. That means this battle, featuring two evenly-matched foes, should be an absolute dogfight.
8. Westchester at Palisades
Currently unbeaten in conference play, Pali is taking aim at a successful Western League title defense. Despite being the reigning champ, however, the Dolphins are ranked well behind Venice, which is also 3-0. They're also yet to play their second-biggest threat in league, Westchester, and the two will go at it on Friday. For both, it's an opportunity to unofficially clinch second place. And if Palisades pulls out a victory, it will look ahead to a chance to upset Venice for a title on Oct. 28.
7. Mission Hills at El Camino
Like the previous games in the countdown, and unlike the rest, this one may not decide a league championship but is still intriguing.
Avocado League play did not start in easy fashion for the Wildcats, who got their crack at the top dog in their league opener. They were coming off a 43-6 thrashing at the hands of one of the best teams in Arizona, Pinnacle, and fell 20-14 to Carlsbad. While that abruptly ended their chances at a conference title, they still have a chance to make history – since moving from the Palomar League to the Avocado in 2010, they've never finished in the top two.
Fresh off wins against Torrey Pines and La Costa Canyon, El Camino can clinch second place on Friday. But it's never easy against a team like Mission Hills, which is coming off three straight top-two finishes.
6. El Cajon Christian at La Jolla
After stunning Mira Mesa by one point last week, the Patriots sit alone atop the Eastern League at 2-0. If they can replicate that effort on the road on Friday, the conference title is theirs. La Jolla, on the other hand, still has to deal with Mira Mesa next week, win or lose. But it can still clinch at least a tie for first with a win against Christian.
5. Santa Barbara at Buena
In the Channel League, four teams are tied atop the standings at 5-1. Santa Barbara and Buena are two of them, and whoever wins this week could plausibly finish as the undisputed conference champion.
The Dons are in particularly good shape if they win this week. Whereas Buena still has to play Pacifica, which is 5-1, Santa Barbara finishes the regular season against San Marcos (Santa Barbara), which is 1-5. However, if the Bulldogs can pull off a slight upset this week, they'll have a chance to do the same next week, and perhaps complete a wild underdog run to first place.
4. Birmingham at El Camino Real
We're on to the third City Section game in the countdown, and we're not done yet.
The Patriots are not only the two-time reigning LACS champion but the four time West Valley League champ as well. After beating Granada Hills Charter by one point on Oct. 7, they have a good chance to make it five straight unbeaten conference sweeps this year. They're the favorite to do pull it off, but they will again be tested on Friday, this time by Elco.
Like Birmingham, ECR started the season off with a losing streak, and then sharply rounded into form. The Royals played close games against common foes that Birmingham blew out, but are unbeaten in league play and could have a chance if they bring their A-game.
3. Sierra Canyon at Chaminade
This matchup may turn out to be the Mission League title game, and the two teams it features have had polar opposite routes in getting here.
If the next two weeks prove to be anything like the last five, then Sierra Canyon is the official turnaround team of 2022. Despite being fairly young this year, expectations were as high as usual for the Trailblazers in their first year in the Mission League. But in their first four games, they lost lopsidedly against JSerra and Oaks Christian, and were routed 41-0 against Mission Viejo. At that point, their only win was 35-16 against Green Valley of Nevada. Since then, SC blew out Westlake, took Bishop Amat to double overtime, crushed Alemany, and now beat Serra (Gardena).
On the other hand, many thought the Eagles had no chance at a Mission League championship, but they've set the world on fire from the get-go. They opened up with wins against Oaks Christian and JSerra – on opposite weeks that those teams beat Sierra Canyon, coincidentally – and have never let up. Chaminade moved to 8-0 with a 36-29 win against Bishop Amat last week, and is the clear favorite on Friday. But with one more win needed to clinch a league title, they cannot afford to let up. Especially with Sierra Canyon peaking at the right time.
2. Oak Hills at Apple Valley
The last few years have been a football renaissance in the High Desert, and this long-awaited game is its poster child.
Oak Hills shocked Apple Valley 21-14 last season in a tremendous second half comeback for a conference title, and hasn't lost a regular season game since. The Bulldogs have been alpha dogs in the Mojave River League since joining in 2010, the year after the school opened, finishing in the top three every single year and winning multiple league titles. They've done nothing from the start but rise, and are now a consensus top-25 team in the state with room to spare.
Meanwhile, the Sun Devils are heavyweights in this battle too. After spending many years closer to the bottom of the MRL than the top, their steady rise from 2016 onward has been well-documented. And their underdog run to the Southern Section Division 3 finals last season, after earning the last seed in the division and losing a third of their starters to injury, captured attention across the state.
Football fans have finally caught onto the High Desert, and this game is guaranteed to have a championship atmosphere. Apple Valley lost a handful of players to injury during the comeback loss last year, and have a chip on their shoulders from having a banner year with no official title to show for it. Oak Hills wants to prove that its No. 1 status in the league and area is no fluke. It's the Southern Section game of the week, and it's a complete tossup.
1. Roosevelt (L.A.) vs. Garfield (at L.A. Memorial Coliseum) – Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Are you ready for what might just be the best East L.A. Classic yet?
It's one of the most highly-attended high school football games in the country. It's one of the longest-tenured rivalry games in California. It's for an Eastern League championship, as it often is.
And this year, not only is it back at the Coliseum, but the Black Eyed Peas are playing a halftime show. It's going to pop off.
Garfield looks to strike back after Roosevelt ended a 10-game losing streak in dramatic fashion last fall. At 8-0, the Rough Riders have kept that momentum going through 2022, blowing out the rest of the league and outscoring opponents 372-97 this year. The Bulldogs have a couple losses to good Southern Section competition, but they too have exclusively steamrolled all City Section competition.
So, it's anybody's game. For a week that's loaded with rivalry games for league titles, it's only fitting that the East L.A. Classic has a spot near or at the top.
MORE GAMES TO WATCH:
In any given week of California high school football, there are dozens of great games to watch between top programs. Here are some other exciting SoCal matchups happening this week:
Orange Lutheran at St. John Bosco
Palmdale at Highland
Valencia (Valencia) at Hart
Mater Dei at Santa Margarita
Norco at Chaparral
Fallbrook at San Pasqual
Cathedral at Loyola
Santa Barbara at Buena
Palos Verdes at Culver City
Carlsbad at La Costa Canyon
Damien at Rancho Cucamonga
Cathedral Catholic at St. Augustine
Moorpark at Camarillo
Murrieta Valley at Corona Centennial
Central (El Centro) at Imperial
St. Bonaventure at Calabasas
Oaks Christian at Simi Valley
Torrey Pines at San Marcos (Oceanside)
Tesoro at Mission Viejo
Brawley at Calexico
Bonita at Charter Oak
Mt. Carmel at Poway
Canyon (Anaheim) at El Modena
Chino Hills at Upland
Servite at JSerra
Corona del Mar at Newport Harbor
Banning (Wilmington) at Gardena
Bishop Amat at Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks)
University City at Morse
Gardena (Serra) at Alemany
Capistrano Valley at San Clemente
Cajon at Beaumont
Point Loma at Mission Bay
Warren at La Mirada
El Rancho at La Serna
Newbury Park at Oak Park
Foothill (Santa Ana) at Yorba Linda
Westlake at Bishop Diego
Peninsula at Mira Costa
Oxnard at Pacifica (Oxnard)
Temecula Valley at M.L. King
Mayfair at Downey
Aquinas at Ontario Christian
Temescal Canyon at Orange Vista
Silverado at Adelanto
